balloon ride in Napa, late June
 

This is my second attempt to post - hit a key and the last message vanished - so please excuse a duplicate post if that happens..

We're in the early stages of planning a trip for late June/early July to San Francisco. We're still trying to decide whether to do Napa/Sonoma and Carmel/Monterey, or choose just one. We have about 10 days in all.

The question I'd like to pose here is this: I've gotten sort of excited about a balloon ride in Napa, but I was wondering if the weather is consistently good in late June/early July. I've searched the balloon company sites and this forum but I'm still not clear on whether they'd actually cancel (not just move the launch site) if the weather was prohibitive and also whether we'd risk losing money (a deposit or prepayment).

As an aside, though I'm still searching the forum, any advice on lodging for Healdsburg, which is sounding like our best location so far? I hate to sound cheap, but we'd like to stay well under $200 so that we can kick it up a bit in Carmel (ocean views and all...).

As always, thanks for all the sage advice we consistently find on the forums!

There are balloon rides in both Napa and Sonoma counties. As for where to stay in Healdsburg under $200. I'd check VRBO..they have over 100 posts of all sizes and prices. Just search until you find what works for you. You can also check out www.sonomacountyvacations.com and look at their vacation rentals.

You should check with the balloon company about their policies.

http://www.nvaloft.com/

If you are doing an early morning balloon ride, I would think you would want to stay nearby. The best place would be Yountville or Napa which is 12 minutes away. June and July are usually dry but fog can be a problem throughout the summer months.

kleroux and Supercilious, thanks for the replies. After giving it some thought, I'm still excited about the prospects of a balloon ride. I'm hoping others will see this post and share their experiences as well.

I take my clue from the Walla Walla Balloon Stampede and the Albuquerque Balloon festival: If the wind is more than 10 knots or if it is raining they will not fly. I can't imagine a legitimate balloon center charging you for a canceled trip.

My guess is that the weather will be excellent in June...although morning fog can be a problem as supercilious notes.